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Statistics

Highest and lowest life expectancy

How long a newborn can expect to live, computed over 15 years to even out chance swings in small municipalities.

Bokn has the highest life expectancy of Norway's municipalities at 85.2 years (2025). The lowest is Vardø at 78.2 years. Source: FHI, indicator 508, processed by Morning Analytics 4 November 2026.

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85.2 yearsHighest: Bokn
82.4 yearsMedian of the municipalities
78.2 yearsLowest: Vardø

The picture in figures

The bars show the ten highest and the ten lowest of 348 municipalities. The dashed line is the median of all municipalities.

Highest 10
BoknBokn85.2 yearsHøylandetHøylandet84.7 yearsHemsedalHemsedal84.5 yearsVoldaVolda84.4 yearsRindalRindal84.4 yearsBærumBærum84.3 yearsGiskeGiske84.2 yearsMalvikMalvik84.2 yearsSykkylvenSykkylven84.2 yearsRollagRollag84.1 years
Lowest 10
VardøVardø78.2 yearsGamvikGamvik78.6 yearsLoppaLoppa79.0 yearsKvænangenKvænangen79.2 yearsLebesbyLebesby79.5 yearsBerlevågBerlevåg79.6 yearsPorsangerPorsanger79.7 yearsNordkappNordkapp79.8 yearsMåsøyMåsøy80.0 yearsKåfjordKåfjord80.1 years
How 348 municipalities spread
78.2 years – 78.8 years: 278.8 years – 79.4 years: 279.4 years – 79.9 years: 479.9 years – 80.5 years: 1280.5 years – 81.1 years: 2181.1 years – 81.7 years: 3581.7 years – 82.3 years: 7982.3 years – 82.8 years: 7682.8 years – 83.4 years: 7183.4 years – 84.0 years: 3184.0 years – 84.6 years: 1384.6 years – 85.2 years: 278.2 years85.2 yearslife expectancy →

Each bar is the number of municipalities in a range of values. The dashed line is the median. Hover over a bar to see the range.

Analysis: why are some at the top and others at the bottom?

We compared life expectancy with every other municipal figure we have, from Statistics Norway, NIPH and the Brønnøysund Register Centre. Below are the figures that go most closely together with life expectancy across the country, and what marks the municipalities at the top and bottom on those figures.

The pattern across the country

  • Municipalities that rank high on «Household income after tax, median» most often also rank high on life expectancy (strong association, rank correlation 0.56 across 348 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 06944).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» most often rank low on life expectancy (strong association, rank correlation −0.55 across 348 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 09429).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Employed, share of age 20–66» most often also rank high on life expectancy (strong association, rank correlation 0.53 across 348 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 11618).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» most often rank low on life expectancy (moderate association, rank correlation −0.49 across 348 municipalities; NIPH indicator 787).

The highest and the lowest

  • No. 1 Bokn (85.2 years) Fits the pattern: «Household income after tax, median» 763,000 kr (no. 24 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 80.1% (no. 52 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 21.1% (no. 301 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 18% of the jobs, 22.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 2 Høylandet (84.7 years) Fits the pattern: «Employed, share of age 20–66» 83.0% (no. 6 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 21.0% (no. 305 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 11% of the jobs, 8.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 3 Hemsedal (84.5 years) Fits the pattern: «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» 6.3% (no. 354 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 787); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 19.0% (no. 347 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 80.0% (no. 55 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: overnattingsvirksomhet, 10% of the jobs, 9.2 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 348 Vardø (78.2 years, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Household income after tax, median» 527,000 kr (no. 353 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 30.5% (no. 49 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 73.3% (no. 284 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 14% of the jobs, 17.8 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 347 Gamvik (78.6 years, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Household income after tax, median» 503,600 kr (no. 357 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 39.5% (no. 3 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 68.7% (no. 347 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 30% of the jobs, 37.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 346 Loppa (79.0 years, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 39.0% (no. 4 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Household income after tax, median» 544,000 kr (no. 351 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 72.2% (no. 305 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 21% of the jobs, 26.0 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).

The analysis describes what goes together, not what causes what. Two figures can follow each other because both depend on something else, such as size, location or industry. The figures are from the latest year available for each source, so the years can differ. Rank correlation runs from −1 to 1; values near 1 mean the municipalities lie in roughly the same order on both measures.

What explains the placing?

  • 1. Bokn 85.2 years Small municipality (907 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 3% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 2. Høylandet 84.7 years Small municipality (1,230 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 3% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 3. Hemsedal 84.5 years Small municipality (2,707 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 3% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 346. Loppa 79.0 years Small municipality (846 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 4% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 347. Gamvik 78.6 years Small municipality (1,019 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 5% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 348. Vardø 78.2 years Small municipality (1,969 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 5% below the median of the municipalities.
#Municipality County Inhabitants life expectancy
101 Tromsø Troms 79,943 83.0 years
102 Øystre Slidresmall municipality Innlandet 3,347 82.9 years
103 Rælingen Akershus 20,904 82.9 years
104 Siljansmall municipality Telemark 2,377 82.9 years
105 Råde Østfold 7,892 82.9 years
106 Hustadvika Møre og Romsdal 13,538 82.9 years
107 Sandnes Rogaland 85,785 82.9 years
108 Bardusmall municipality Troms 4,004 82.9 years
109 Øyer Innlandet 5,130 82.9 years
110 Surnadal Møre og Romsdal 5,982 82.9 years
111 Ibestadsmall municipality Troms 1,287 82.9 years
112 Vanylvensmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,029 82.9 years
113 Hemnessmall municipality Nordland 4,486 82.9 years
114 Evenessmall municipality Nordland 1,397 82.9 years
115 Flesbergsmall municipality Buskerud 2,790 82.9 years
116 Averøy Møre og Romsdal 6,007 82.9 years
117 Stavanger Rogaland 151,669 82.9 years
118 Selbusmall municipality Trøndelag 4,258 82.8 years
119 Lillestrøm Akershus 96,771 82.8 years
120 Vinjesmall municipality Telemark 3,829 82.8 years
121 Lier Buskerud 28,797 82.8 years
122 Lødingensmall municipality Nordland 1,964 82.8 years
123 Sirdalsmall municipality Agder 1,911 82.8 years
124 Hareid Møre og Romsdal 5,411 82.8 years
125 Fjordsmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 2,547 82.8 years
126 Bergen Vestland 294,860 82.8 years
127 Fjalersmall municipality Vestland 2,948 82.8 years
128 Grimstad Agder 25,569 82.8 years
129 Solundsmall municipality Vestland 742 82.8 years
130 Gjerstadsmall municipality Agder 2,502 82.8 years
131 Overhallasmall municipality Trøndelag 3,944 82.8 years
132 Hole Buskerud 7,205 82.8 years
133 Dønnasmall municipality Nordland 1,445 82.7 years
134 Oslo Oslo 728,714 82.7 years
135 Sørreisasmall municipality Troms 3,528 82.7 years
136 Gausdal Innlandet 6,147 82.7 years
137 Bodø Nordland 53,638 82.7 years
138 Holtålensmall municipality Trøndelag 2,037 82.7 years
139 Hattfjelldalsmall municipality Nordland 1,255 82.7 years
140 Hamar Innlandet 33,817 82.7 years
141 Rennebusmall municipality Trøndelag 2,514 82.7 years
142 Brønnøy Nordland 7,841 82.7 years
143 Hvalersmall municipality Østfold 4,714 82.7 years
144 Frostasmall municipality Trøndelag 2,667 82.7 years
145 Flatangersmall municipality Trøndelag 1,110 82.7 years
146 Aremarksmall municipality Østfold 1,354 82.7 years
147 Nannestad Akershus 16,662 82.6 years
148 Kristiansand Agder 119,287 82.6 years
149 Lundsmall municipality Rogaland 3,229 82.6 years
150 Larvik Vestfold 49,022 82.6 years

Not available for 9 municipalities (hidden by the source, too small or not measured): Fedje, Kvitsøy, Leka, Modalen, Røst, Røyrvik, Træna, Utsira, Vevelstad